


Soulmates & How To Learn To Love Again

by agentmaine



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Character, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Timers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 19:33:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7477008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentmaine/pseuds/agentmaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every person past the age of ten has a timer on their wrist, counting down until they meet their soulmate. Most people love this. But after a soulmate that didn't love him back, Church is a little less than optimistic to meet the next person labelled as his soulmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soulmates & How To Learn To Love Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fakecrew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakecrew/gifts).



> I LOVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART ESSY <3 ENJOY THIS FLUFF AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY

There’s a timer on Church’s wrist counting down in years, months, weeks, day, hours, minutes and seconds. It’s counting down until he meets his soulmate. Yep, the moment he meets the person who’s meant to be the love of his life is reduced to numbers. Numbers permanently on his skin. That he can always see. All the time.

Church thinks it’s a bad fucking plan.

Obviously, there’s nothing he can do about it – the unique timer for each person is there from your 10th birthday. Nobody has a choice whether they get it or not. And to add onto that, nobody really knows how the fuck it works. Some top secret government bullshit, probably. Though, as always with these sort of things, there are conspiracies.

One is that the timers are complete and utter bullshit to trick the majority of the population into falling in love and getting married to the person they just so happen to bump into at that moment. That doesn’t explain how the timer on it changes and locks onto a time when a person meets another soulmate if a previous one dies though.

Another is that they’re controlled by the government to pair up perfect couples. Another is that they’re controlled by aliens. Another is that they’re controlled by a higher being. Hell, some people have even suggested they’re a figment of everyone’s imagination.

Leonard Church, though? He simply doesn’t give a fuck. And it’s a debate he’s had with friends _many_ times.

“Oh, come _on,_ Church!” York says, amusement hinted at in his voice. They’re having the argument for the billionth time while sat at a large booth in the corner of The Freelancer coffee shop with a few others. The shop itself is quiet now and nearing closing time, leaving the employees – Church’s friends – to pester him.

“Nope, York. No. We’ve covered this.” He grumbles, pushing already messy black hair from his eyes. “I do not give a singular shit about my stupid soulmate. You all know how the last one turned out.”

He stirs his coffee and examines the table in front of him as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world. He only brings Tex up when he wants other people to shut up about soulmates. They were a rare case of soulmates, apparently. One in every hundred thousand or so. In their case, Tex was Church’s first soulmate. He loved her. What made it so rare is the fact that Church wasn’t Tex’s soulmate. When she moved on and he finally, finally let her go, his timer shifted.

As soon as he forgets about one soulmate, the timer jumps from a whole bunch of zeros to exactly four months, two weeks, one day, nine hours and twenty seconds. Just because Church hates the memory of getting a new soulmate doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember it perfectly.

“How it turned out with Tex isn’t how it has to end with everybody, y’know.” Connie says. “I mean… You’d have to be the biggest asshole in the world to have two soulmates that don’t like you. And you’re only, like, the _second_ biggest asshole.”

Maine chuckles from beside Connie and that is rare, to say the least. Church scoffs, rolling his eyes and shooting a glare in their direction. “Thanks. But Connie, you and York can’t say shit – you’ve both found your soulmates already.” On cue, the two of them look over to the Dakota twins working at the bar. Grins as natural as anything appear on both of their faces and Church almost hates them for it.

Fuck happy couples, right?

“I’m gonna have to agree with Church here, as much as it pains me to.” Washington joins in as he stands by the table and collects empty mugs from Maine, Connie and York. “My soulmate is dead. I don’t have another one. So what’s the point keeping hung up on it?”

“Thank you! I mean, uh. Sorry that yours is dead and all.” Church curses himself internally. Second biggest asshole may be right or him, actually.

Wash shrugs and smiles, despite it not reaching his eyes. “Never met him. Mourned a guy I never knew, got over it, didn’t get a new soulmate and-“

“And now you’re single forever because you love being an angsty bitch!” South shouts from across the room, grin showing in her voice.

“Yes, and now Wash is an angsty bitch. Whatever. Anyway,” York starts, smiling at Wash affectionately as the younger man walks away. “Back to you, Church. You meet your soulmate in three days now, dude. How aren’t you excited?”

“Because. I. Don’t. _Care._ It’s whatever. I’m gonna keep living my life until that fucker, whoever they are, shows up and then I’ll just take it from there. Whatever.”

***

That’s what Church does. He works it out and he’s due to meet Soulmate 2.0 on a Friday at 4:32 PM. He considers staying at home and hiding from his soulmate, hoping that somehow, that way, they won’t be able to meet. He then calls himself a fucking pussy for thinking that and changes his mind. If you have one, meeting your soulmate is inevitable. Church knows that and knows it has to happen. But he’ll be damned if he’s meeting that soulmate in a place that he didn’t choose. Soulmate 2.0 can come to him, thank you very much.

He decides that his soulmate can meet him in the place where he spends a lot of his life anyway – Freelancer Café. He tells himself he’s choosing that place only because it’s the least romantic place in the world, only because it’s a place he’s comfortable in, only because it’s near, only because a million other reasons. Not at all because he’s nervous or because he cares.

He is _not_ nervous. He does _not_ care.

(Church was never a good liar.)

The days leading up to Friday are spent doing the most normal shit Leonard could ever imagine. There are people who change their entire appearance on the days leading up to meeting their soulmate. Some spend thousands of dollars just to make themselves look better, whatever that means. Church thinks Soulmate 2.0 should have to meet the person he actually is, and not some act. Plus: who the hell has a spare thousand dollars?

He refuses to freak out about it, downright refuses, even as he walks with a friend to Freelancer café at 4:12 PM on that Friday.

“Dude. So you’re really not scared at all?”

“No, Tucker. I’m not. For the thousandth time. I don’t give a shit.” Church says, lying to himself and to Tucker.

“That’s wild, man. I meet my fuckin’ soulmate in two days and I am shit-scared. Looking forward to all the sexy times though, right, because duh – of course my soulmate is gonna be some sort of sex god. It’s the least I deserve!” Tucker rambles, smiling to himself as he pushes the door to the café open.

“Too much information, Tucker. I don’t want to know about your non-existent, fantasy sex life.” Church deadpans. He waves to the few members of staff in the café – North, York, Florida and Wyoming – and goes to his usual seat with Tucker following.

Tucker leans forward while sitting across from Church as their usual drinks are placed on their table. “Really, Church. You should be optimistic for once in your miserable fuckin’ life! This could be great for you. Like how I’m optimistic that my soulmate is gonna be some hot blonde bombshell. Your soulmate could be someone you can be grumpy with for the rest of your life.”

“Romantic.”

“That’s why they call me the love doctor, dude.”

“Literally nobody – _nobody at all_ – calls you that.”

“Yeah, fuck you, whatever.” Tucker grumbles, obviously offended. Church needs more mature friends. “You have like fifteen minutes until you meet your soulmate anyway. I’m waiting around to see who the unlucky fucker is, but then I gotta pick Junior up from his daycare.”

“Wow, Tucker, I value your unending support. I mean, with my luck, Soulmate 2.0 is literally going to be the least compatible person on the planet for me.” He takes a sip of his coffee, holding back a smirk. “Well, at least I know you’re not my soulmate. I pity whichever fuck is stuck with you.”

At that, Tucker stands up with an eye roll that measures 7.2 on the Richter scale of ‘pissed off Tucker’ and Church bites back a smirk. “Fuck you, man. I’m gonna sit over there and watch because your pessimism is infecting me. Asshole.”

Church chuckles as he watches the other man move to sit across the room and bites back the anxiety that threatens to fill him. He looks down at the timer and takes a deep breath when he sees that there are only six minutes left. The longest six minutes of his fucking life, probably.

To pass time, he thinks of all the worst things that Soulmate 2.0 could be. Someone who is the reincarnated Hitler, someone who is into really weird furry sex, someone who enjoys fitness training. Someone who eats in a gross way, someone who calls him awful pet names, someone who likes Katy Perry. Someone who wants to put him on a diet, someone who pronounces simple words wrong, someone who doesn’t love him back –

Fuck.

Fear hits him like a bus. He takes a sip of his drink and tries to ignore it, but the thought persists – what if they don’t love him back? What if they can’t? What if Church is just made to have soulmates that don’t love him?

He has four minutes left.

Deep breaths are needed but there’s suddenly a lack of air in his lungs, in the room, in the world – where the fuck did all the air go?

A worried glance from Tucker puts the air back where it’s meant to be. He manages to give his friend a shaky thumbs up and smiles at him, hoping it reassures both of them that he’s okay. It works, slightly. Very, very slightly. He takes many more deep breathes. He finishes his drink. He checks his phone. He takes some more deep breaths.

There’s only one minute left. Church stares at the table.

He hears noises outside – laughter, loud and bright and happy. Church’s stomach flips. The people are saying something but he can’t make it out, the voices muffled. He’s not sure if it’s because the voices are far away, or just because his head is spinning. Everything is spinning a little. The act of pretending not to care apparently doesn’t stop his body and mind and everything else from caring.

The door opens, the bell attached to it ringing.

Church looks up from the table and to the door.

The man in the doorway looks back at him.

Two alarms go off in sync – _beep beep beep –_ and the rest of the room, the rest of the goddamn world, falls silent.

Leonard Church is looking at his soulmate. His soulmate is looking back at him. Holy _shit._

The man in the doorway is younger than him, that’s for sure. He’s a light brown to Church’s death-pale complexion. He’s tall, definitely over 6ft, and strong. Or at least he looks it. He’s wearing jeans and a blue shirt with matching blue converse and again, Church is left wondering how old this guy is. He can feel his heart in his stomach as his brain forgets every single world he’s ever muttered; all sentences he tries to form failing miserably before they even reach his mouth.

Turns out he doesn’t have to speak, however.

“Your soulmate is fucking _Caboose?!”_ Tucker exclaims, the man having apparently moved to Church’s side. Church thanks God that it’s a quiet day for the café, and then comes back to his senses.

“Wait – what? You know this guy?” He asks, eyebrows knotting together. Because, no. His soulmate cannot be friends with Lavernius Tucker. His soulmate cannot be another Lavernius Tucker. One is bad enough.

“Hello, Tucker… Uh. Um. I am Caboose. Hi. Uh.” Soulmate 2.0 (Caboose, church reminds himself) says, eyes wide as he’s pushed closer by whoever he was with.

“I repeat – you know him, Tucker? The hell?!”

“Dude, stop yelling at me! How did I know that this lump of stupid was your soulmate! Plus, why should I introduce you to all my friends? I don’t know half of yours.” Tucker snaps back.

“Right! Fine! Whatever, Tucker; I think there’s a more important conversation to be had here.” Church reminds him, glaring at him before not so subtly gesturing towards Caboose.

“Oh, shit, yeah. Caboose, dude, hey. This is Church. He’s my friend, I’m sure I’ve mentioned him to you before. Aaaand he’s your soulmate too, I guess. God, that’s weird. Anyway. Church, this is Caboose… Good luck. That’s all I can say for you two. I need to go get Junior. See ya, buddy.” He smiles at Caboose with a look Church has only seen him give to his son, pats him on the back, then leaves.

Church watches Tucker go before finally looking up at the man in front of him. He takes deep breaths and reminds himself that his timer went off too. A good sign. He also doesn’t _look_ like some sort of racist, fascist type. Another good sign. He takes a final deep breath.

“…Do you wanna grab a drink?”

Church talks to his soulmate for only half an hour that day. It’s all the time they have before the other man has to go to work. It’s more than a little unfair but these days, not all companies let you take time off for trivial things such as meeting the love of your life. Real nice of them. The two of them arrange to meet up again on Sunday – same time and place, of course.

The Friday night, Church goes over everything he knows about Caboose. He’s cute. He talks a lot. He smiles and it’s like the sun after a storm. He also, apparently, makes Church want to use some fucking gay similes. He has 10 sisters. He’s never had a soulmate before. His name is Michael. He has a dog called freckles. Church realises it’s not much, but it’s a start.

Leonard tries his best not to think about Caboose at all that next day. He wants to keep calm, wants to relax, wants not to think about the kid’s over optimistic attitude and gorgeous smile and –

This is exactly what he wants to avoid.

He knows that soulmates can go wrong; he’s experienced it himself. He doesn’t want to set himself or Caboose up for failure. And if that means having to be distant instead of clingy, so be it. Church admits to himself that deep down, he wants this to work. He really does.

He admits to himself that Caboose is probably already his weakness.

***

It’s Sunday and Church is sat across from Caboose in Freelancer café once more. In the exact same seats they were in last time. Church isn’t nervous at all, and Church is lying to himself.

Sitting across from Caboose while he’s telling the fourth story since they arrived, something about playing Pokémon Go on the way here, makes Church a little distracted. To say the least. He finds himself noticing subtler things about the guy already, which is not normal for him. It’s technically only their first date. Leonard is used to noticing details of someone only on the third or fourth. Things are different with Caboose.

He notices that Caboose has a gap between his two front teeth. It gives him a little bit of a lisp that can only be described as adorable. His eyes are blue, like really fucking blue. Like sky and sea and sapphire blue, bright and alert and framed with long, dark lashes. He has a strong jawline but still manages to have a face that appears _soft_ , a face that Church can definitely appreciate and _not_ in a heterosexual way. Caboose is kind of kicking Church’s preference for women in the stomach. Repeatedly.

“And that was how I got the Eevee on my way to see you, Church! I named it after you. Because I like both of you.” Caboose finishes the story Church was definitely not listening to. The grin on his face makes Church sure he either doesn’t mind or doesn’t know, though.

“Thanks, buddy,” He chuckles. He realises that he’s never called someone buddy. He hopes it’s not weird, imagines that he’s fucked everything up, and then sees the grin on Caboose’s face grow wider. Thank god. “So… Do you wanna tell me more about yourself? I don’t really know much. And we need to get to know each other, I guess.”

“Oh! Okay, Church. What do you want to know?” He beams. That fucking smile is making it hard for Church to remain looking like a miserable asshole.

“Uh, shit, man… Anything. I don’t know. Wait, here’s one – were you expecting a guy as your soulmate? Sorry to disappoint if you were expecting a hot chick or something.” Church asks, leaning forward slightly and resting his chin in his hand.

Caboose snorts at the question, shaking his head. “No, silly! I didn’t expect anyone. I can like anyone. And now I get to like you.”

“Oh,” Church feels his face heating up at the last few words and tells himself to calm down Caboose should be everything he hates. “Cool. So, uh… You’re bisexual? Pansexual?”

“Nope!” He smiles and brushes back a curl of brown hair that falls in his face. “Asexual. I don’t feel _sex_ things to people like a lot of people do. Like Tucker does! He feels that a lot. It’s gross. But I like people! All people.”

“So, you don’t have sex? Because you don’t want to sexuality wise, not just because you’re celibate or can’t or whatever.”

“Church, I do not know what the silly-bait word means. But I think you’re right! I can do the sex. If I wanted. But I don’t.” He shrugs and sips his drink, waiting for Church’s response.

Church nods and thinks that over without even meaning to. Before he knows it, he realises he’d be more than fine with dating Caboose and not having sex. He realises, a little too late, that already he’s thinking about Caboose in the way of dating. So much for taking it slow.

“Yeah. Okay. I can get that. But, ‘boose,” Church says, his voice unexpectedly soft. “If we… Uh. Fuck. What am I saying? What I’m trying to say is that if I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell me, yeah?”

“Okay, Church. But I like you! I trust you.” He smiles back.

“Buddy. You barely know me.” Church chuckles, trying his best to ignore that warm, tingly feeling spreading through his body.

“But you call me buddy! That means we are friends, Church. And we can be more than friends, maybe, if we keep doing this? Tucker told me that this is how it works. I like you. You are small and you look moody but you smile and listen to me and only insult me sometimes. But not in a completely mean way.” Caboose says, smiling and nudging Church’s foot under the table.

Leonard blushes – actually _blushes –_ for the first time in years. Caboose’s entire personality is like sugar and candy and puppies and God, it’s nice to be around. Repressed negativity being fucking destroyed is definitely a bonus of being around Caboose.

The two continue talking or more accurately, Church continues listening. He really doesn’t mind listening to Caboose’s stories. He thinks back to trying to make conversation with Tex. It was like talking to a brick wall sometimes, or just talking to someone who ended up hating his guts. Talking to Caboose is like talking to a different universe. His brain thinks in colours, probably.

At some point, Caboose reaches over and grabs hold of Church’s hand.

Church doesn’t complain.

In fact, he’s enjoying the warmth and the soft hand in his own and beginning to rub his thumb across Caboose’s palm absentmindedly when Washington bursts through into the café from the back of the store, his eyes wide and full of fear.

Church holds Caboose’s hand tighter as he manoeuvres both of them to stand and walk closer to the panicking blonde.

“Wash, dude, the fuck? Are you okay? Man. Talk to us.” Church says, looking from Caboose’s worried expression to Washington and back.

“My timer! My soulmate timer just started. Out of fucking nowhere! This doesn’t happen! This doesn’t happen, right? It doesn’t go from blank for 8 years to – to fifty-seven seconds, oh my god. Oh my god.” Wash is staring at his wrist and everyone crowds round to see, making sure he’s right.

Church doesn’t let go of Caboose’s hand. In fact, he steps closer to Caboose without even knowing it himself. He presses himself against Caboose’s side and can tell it comforts him without even looking. He’s not used to knowing how someone feels without even looking.

North puts a hand on Wash’s shoulder to calm him, makes him take deep breaths, stops him from going into a panic attack or something else along those lines. Meanwhile, Church lets go of Caboose’s hand and wraps his arm around his side. He can tell Caboose is still scared. These are definitely not ideal conditions for a first date.

Then, he hears a familiar voice.

And as the door opens and two timers go off, Church says to himself; “No fucking way.”

Lavernius Tucker is stood in the doorway with his 4-year-old son in his arms. He’s stood with his timer going off. While Wash’s timer goes off. While everyone stares and Church almost laughs at the familiarity of the situation.

“Oh my God. When I said I wanted my soulmate to be a hot blonde bombshell, this wasn’t what I meant. But I’ll goddamn take it.” Tucker says, almost in awe, staring at Wash with his jaw dropped practically to the ground.

Lavernius Tucker is David Washington’s soulmate and Church decides to choose a different place for his and Caboose’s next date.

***

True to his word, Church does choose a different place for their next date. Because that’s what they’re doing, Church realises. Going on dates. Together. In a romantic way. And the first one, despite the interruption, went really well.

Scarily well, almost.

Date number two is just as good.

Church picks Caboose up from his apartment on the other side of town at exactly 8:02 PM. He _had_ planned on leaving straight away after that, too. Caboose’s dog had other ideas. The Labrador was scarily similar to his owner – loud, excitable and very enthusiastic to be around Church. It took them another twenty minutes for the dog to calm down enough so that they could leave.

Stubbornly, Church ignored the thought that Caboose was somehow even cuter than his pet. Very stubbornly. But even stubbornness is hard to keep up when a guy has Caboose holding his hand and tugging him in the direction of a bowling alley as excitedly as a little kid.

Under the neon red and blue lights of the alley, however, it was hard to keep certain thoughts away. Thoughts of how nice the glow from the signs made Caboose look. Thoughts of how perfectly his curly hair framed his face and how the blue plaid shirt he wore looked really, really good on him. Thoughts of how goddamn strong he must be to carry the heaviest bowling balls with ease and thoughts of kissing the kid when he grinning ear to ear after a shot.

Calm down, Leonard. Wait till later.

In the end, Caboose _somehow_ fucking wins. Which Church is more than a little grumpy about, considering the idiot put his shoes on the wrong feet before they’d started the game. It had to just be luck. Church isn’t usually this bad.

Instead of gloating in the victory, though, Caboose hugs Church. A proper hug. One with strong arms pressing Church’s considerably smaller frame against his own, squeezing him tightly but not enough to hurt. A hug that makes Church turn into a living fucking tomato with the amount he blushed.

“It is okay to lose, Church! I still think you did great! And if people ask, we can say that you won if you want – I am just very happy to be with you again.” Caboose says, pulling back but not letting go completely. “I like being with you.”

“I, uh – Thank you, Caboose. But you won fair and square. I’ll just have to win next time we come here, yeah?” He smiles, feeling a burst of warmth in his chest when Caboose’s own smile grows. Fuck his reputation as a miserable bastard – Caboose can be his exception.

He takes Caboose’s hand in his own, confidently this time, squeezing it lightly. They walk together to the bowling alley’s small arcade and Church cannot believe that his life has turned into a chic flick. Grumpy, selfish asshole with a negative view on love? Check. Positive, adorable, handsome guy who sees the whole world as rainbows? Check. Cliché dates? Check.

He wonders what the fuck is happening to him, and wonders why the hell he is so happy about it all.

***

Dates three and four are nice. Three is seeing a movie together and going for a meal. After the meal, Church drives Caboose home and, when outside his apartment, pops the question that had been on his mind the whole time. He asks Caboose to officially be his boyfriend, or whatever. In those words, exactly. Caboose grins and hugs him enough to almost crush his ribs. A kiss on the cheek and a very firm ‘yes’ leave Church grinning for days after.

Number four is a double date with the new couple – Wash and Tucker. David Washington and Lavernius Tucker. Church will never, ever be used to that.

Except that he will. He will because next to each other, the two opposites somehow work perfectly. He will because he’s heard them talking – no, _gushing_ over each other. He’s seen how Wash looks at his soulmate like he’s a gift from some higher power, as though he doesn’t deserve this second chance and he’s seen how Tucker looks at Wash as though he’s shelter from a storm. He’s seen them kiss and, surprisingly, it wasn’t gross. He’s seen them grin at each other from across a room and seen Wash talk to Junior as though he was talking to royalty. He’s seen what he wants with Caboose.

He’s realised he really, really is in deep.

***

The fifth date isn’t exactly a date, but it’s easily becomes their favourite so far. It becomes their favourite because they kiss.

It doesn’t really match with the rest of the chick flick romance starting, though. They don’t kiss outside in the pouring rain or before one leaves the other to go to some great journey. It’s not a running across a beach at sunset into each other’s arms as the music swells and everyone cries type of kiss. Church can truthfully say he doesn’t care about that, though.

It happens a week after their double date, and a week and 6 days after they became an official “couple.” They’d seen each other between then to talk or hang out or grab coffee, but nothing either of them would class as romantic. They’d also been glued to their phones; frequent texts were sent between each of them every day. Pictures of dogs from Caboose. Messages of “did you get home safe?” and “did you turn your oven off?” and “I hope you sleep well” from Church.

It’s a bit domestic a lot quickly.

This date, though, is the most domestic of the ones before. It involves Caboose in an oversized sweater he looks way too cute in coming to Church’s apartment, armed with about twelve Disney DVD’s for Church to choose from. Yes – _twelve._

And all because Church had never seen 101 Dalmatians.

It starts with The Little Mermaid being put on and the two of them sitting side by side, only their shoulders touching and with a bowl of popcorn between them. Though, as all things do, that changes. It changes and soon, before either of them even recognise it, Caboose is sat crossed-legged on the couch as though it is his own with his arm around his boyfriend, pulling him in. Church sits half on caboose and half next to him, his legs sprawled across the other man’s lap and the rest of his body still managing to curl as close to Caboose as possible.

Ariel is singing about her Prince or the sea or whatever but Church is way too busy looking at Caboose to care. He’s too busy breathing slowly and letting the heat from Caboose seep into his bones, because this guy is a literal fucking radiator. He is warm in the best way and Church wants to drink it all up, wants it for now and for the foreseeable future and probably after that, too.

As Church looks at Caboose, he thinks about himself. He thinks about them. He realises how much he’s changed in such a short time. He thinks that this change isn’t bad. Not at all.

He thinks about Tex. He thinks about the fights and the fear and the heartbreak he felt with her all too often, and he thinks about how different that is to what he has with Caboose. He knows he was in love with Tex and there’s no way he can get a time machine and change that. He wouldn’t, even if he could. Because knowing what being in love feels like allows him to make another connection. A much more substantial one.

He’s falling in love with Michael J. Caboose.

Fuck.

He’s not there, not yet, and he knows that. But when he’s watching Caboose watch a movie and feels a tug at his heart whenever Caboose smiles at the screen, he knows it’ll happen. He knows because it’s there. The love is there and it’s small, much too small to act upon or name yet, but it’s there. And that’s a start.

Though not enough of a start, Church thinks. It’s like a snowball. Push it down a hill, it rolls and gets bigger. Church needs that push.

“Hey, Michael.” He says, soft as to not startle him and soft because the use of his first name is rare. It makes it special. And, apparently, it gets his attention very well.

Yes, Church?” He says with the same bright voice. Church smiles at the sound. Caboose turns, shifting a little so they’re closer to being face to face. “

“Can I kiss you?” Church asks.

“Oh – I, uh – You want to do that?” Caboose answers with a question, those bluer than blue eyes wide with a hint of surprise before he gets his wits – or whatever wits he has – about him again. “I would like that. Yes, please. I would like that a lot.”

“Cool.”

His hands find Caboose’s cheek and it’s soft, really soft and really nice and Church feels butterflies in his stomach already. He brushes his thumb across the skin and he leans in, watching as Caboose’s eyes flutter shut as he gets closer. He keeps his eyes open as their lips touch for the first time, looking at those beautiful dark lashes for a mere moment before his own eyes fall closed.

They kiss soft and slow and careful; timid and afraid but finding their way. Caboose holds onto Church’s waist and tilts his head slightly, pressing closer. Church lightly runs his tongue across the other’s lip and revels in the sigh it gets him. Revels in how blissfully happy Caboose sounds.

Time melts away and becomes non-existent until they part. And even if they kissed for hours, it would not be enough. Caboose’s lips are soft and warm like the rest of him and Church is pretty damn sure he could get used to kissing them.

When they do part, though, Church finds a literal world of happiness in the blue eyes that meet his gaze.

“That was very nice. We should do that more, Church.” Caboose whispers. God knows why he’s whispering, considering they’re the only ones there, but Church finds himself too happy to care.

“We should, buddy. We will.”

And as Leonard settles against Caboose again, their bodies fitting together like clockwork, he knows that was the push. Church knows that he was bitter and upset and mistrusting about soulmates and for once in his life, he is more than happy to be proved wrong.


End file.
